


Litany

by zarahjoyce



Series: KDrama [2]
Category: Korean Drama, 상속자들 | The Heirs
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 14:10:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 15,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6569317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarahjoyce/pseuds/zarahjoyce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Choi Young Do and Yoo Rachel's relationship from A to Z, in no particular order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bruises

When he showed up to school with a band-aid haphazardly covering one cheek, she fought the urge to give it too much attention. No one else did, after all.

Then again, not everyone knew about Dong Wook's predilection for physical violence.

She knew Young Do's wound was borne out of embarrassing circumstances. She'd once thought it laughable, how someone built like him could endure the heavy hand of a parent much smaller than himself.

But, now that she knew better, it infuriated her. How dare his father strike his own son?

"Ya, Yoo Rachel. You look like you're going to happily murder someone." He gave her a wide, insolent smile as he sat in front of her and said, "Should I get scared?"

"Maybe you should," she sneered, focusing her attention on his eyes instead of the mark on his flesh.

_For your father. **  
**_


	2. Ghosts

"Rachel--"

But the woman who turned - the woman whose arm he held - was not Rachel, but goddamnit she could have been.

"Sorry," he said, already turning on his heel.

It had been a few days since she'd just so thoroughly disappeared from his life without any prior indication. One moment she was on his bed, laughing and beautiful, and the next--

Young Do clenched his hands to fists. His phone remained silent, its battery drained - a testament to just how much of it he used just to try and place a call to her that never connected.

Lee Esther refused to talk to him. That alone made him realize that Rachel hadn't merely gone somewhere else - she'd left.

Left _him_.

A pity that talking to her mother had been his one and only recourse; it's not like Rachel had any friends around.

But he would not, under all things holy and fucking bright, ask help from Kim Tan. Last Young Do knew, Rachel hated that second son more than anything, and she'd be damned to ask help from _him_ , of all people.

Which meant that, technically, no one in Korea knew where she'd gone.

He swore. Anger and something even more potent brewed under his skin.

Yoo Rachel was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it.

But he would have to find her first.


	3. Roadblock

 "...What."

 "Well, don't get _too_ excited on my account. How's my favorite sister doing?"

 "One, you have no sister. Two, _I'm_ not your sister. Three--"

 "You've been well, I take it?"

 "Relatively speaking."

 "Good to hear. I wouldn't know that, since you haven't been calling me."

 "I didn't realize I was obligated to do that."

 "Oppa's obligating you now."

 "...no."

 "No?"

 "No."

 "Ya, Rachel!"

 "What? Don't you realize you're wasting both our time with this inane call?"

 "It's lunchtime. Aren't you on a break?"

 "Define 'break'."

 "Are you eating?"

 "I have work to do."

 "You're not eating?"

 "I _said_ , I have work to do."

 "You're at the office?"

 "...why?"

 "I'll be right over. And, Rachel?"

 " _What_."

 "If your secretary blocks me again, you'll have to get your cleaning personnel ready afterwards. Understand?"

 "What?"

  _Beep._

 -

 "Ya, Young Do!"

 "Oh, my sister is calling? What a lovely surprise. Why is she calling, I wonder? Could it be because of something I did? Or something _she_ did?"

 "You idiot! You--- you're such a--"

 "Aish. Reducing you to inane bumbling has always been music to my ears. Do you think I can--"

 "In case you've already forgotten, you wrecked my elevator door. My clients had to take the stairs. It was embarrassing!"

 "Well, I distinctly remember telling you that if your secretary blocks me from seeing you--"

 "I was in a meeting, you asshole. I had no time to eat, let alone talk to you!"

 "You should've taken a break. Don't they have a saying, health is wealth or some shit like that?"

 "You're going to pay for the repairs of my elevator, or I _swear_ I'm going to--"

 "--do what?"

 "Something. And you wouldn't know what hit you."

 "Have I ever told you how turned on I am every time you threaten me?"

 "Ass."

 "It's true. If you were here, I would've proven it to you."

 "Ugh, you disgust me."

 "Now, now. We both know that isn't true."

 "Ya, Young Do. You are going to send your best cleaning crew right this moment to fix your mess in my building. Understood?"

 "And if I don't? Will you castrate me?"

 "You'll just have to wait and see. And suffer, too."

 "Ya, Rachel--"

  _Beep._


	4. Venice

Maybe he should have asked Myung Soo to accompany him.  
  
But almost as soon as the thought came, Young Do pushed it away with a grimace. Good thing he didn't.  
  
He looked at his watch. He had just come from a dinner meeting, but just like most dinner meetings, he was unable to eat anything. Must be because of the dreary company and the even drearier topics they spoke about. Mergers and acquisitions, shit like that.

He sighed. His stomach was rumbling. Might as well order something from room service and get himself full before retiring for the night.  
  
The sharp click-clack of heels caught his attention, but as soon as the sound registered, he ignored it.  
  
Unfortunately, he had no time for pretty people in pretty heels.

And wasn't _that_ a sad thought.  
  
"Choi Young Do?" came a familiar voice.  
  
His attention baited again, he looked sideways - and saw Yoo Rachel looking at him.  
  
He grinned. Heels, skirt, long curtain of hair, red, _red_ lips? Some things never changed. "Hello, Sister," he said, the words automatic in his mouth.   
  
A not-quite smile ghosted her mouth. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Waiting for the elevator," he replied easily.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I meant here, in Italy."  
  
"Before I answer that - would you like to eat with me? I'm starving." He even placed a hand over his stomach and pathetically hunched.  
  
He could practically hear the gears in her brain working. Then, "All right. But you're paying."  
  
"Of course. Oppa did ask you out."

"You're not--" She closed that pretty mouth from spouting more along that train of thought. "Whatever. Let's go."

Young Do smirked.  
  
Already tonight was looking to be quite interesting.


	5. Debts

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

No.  
  
This was not possible.

It just wasn't!  
  
But there it was, his name scribbled neatly on the bulletin board - just a few minuscule spaces beneath her own.  
  
_3\. Choi, Young Do_  
  
Someone beside her cleared his throat, and awareness flooded her system. She bit the inside of her cheek, and resolutely kept looking forward.  
  
"Well, would you look at that," Young Do drawled, clearly amused. "Do you think there must be some kind of mistake? Aish, but there couldn't be any. Not in _this_ prestigious institution. So that would mean--"  
  
"I thought you were an idiot," she said through clenched teeth. She was sure - she was _so_ sure - that she would win this. How...?  
  
At that, Young Do laughed. "Ya, Yoo Rachel. Only goes to show you don't know everything, do you? Then again, if you _did_ know everything, you wouldn't have ended up second best."  
  
Hearing that was like a shock through her system. Rachel faced him, mouth agape, clearly outraged. How dare he!  
  
"I never really had much motivation to study, you know," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets, looking very much like an innocent boy revealing his secrets - that was, until his devious eyes gave him away. "Until now. Until you dared me. And now... here we are."  
  
"You probably cheated," she scoffed.   
  
"And you're just a sore loser. But a deal's a deal, isn't it?"

"I should count this one out of our agreement," she said, head held high.  
  
Something told her that  _that_ was the wrong thing to say. "You wouldn't want to do that," Young Do said, almost too casually. He stepped closer to her, and whispered softly to her ear:  
  
"My suite, 7 PM. Don't be late. I _hate_ waiting."


	6. Time

Just like clockwork, Rachel came down their pool area at precisely five in the afternoon.

From beneath his sunglasses, Young Do grinned. He remained as still as possible, refraining from doing anything that will attract attention to his person. Will she notice him there, he wondered?  
  
Apparently not. She took off her robe, revealing the one-piece swimsuit she wore underneath. It was modest and alluring and, to his discerning eyes, sexy as all hell. He'd always thought her beautiful in any and all kinds of clothes she chose. Seeing her now, with vast expanses of creamy white skin revealed _just_ for his eyes... well. He couldn't help it. He whistled.  
  
Which made her freeze, look up, and meet his gaze.  
  
He waved at her. "Hi, Sister."  
  
Her expressions cycled through stunned silence, disbelief, and outrage. Finally, she settled on indignation and voiced out: "What are you doing here?"  
  
"It's hot," he said. "There's a pool. Somewhere between the two is a correlation I don't have the patience to spell out for you."  
  
"This is my house," she said. "You can't just go anywhere you please!"  
  
It's almost a shame she was so beautiful yet painfully blunt to a fault. Oh, well. Young Do could live with that. "We're your guests for several days. Didn't your mother tell us to make ourselves comfortable?" He grinned. "I'm merely being obedient to her whims."  
  
Just as she was internally debating whether to respond to that or not, Young Do removed his sunglasses, stood, walked closer to the pool, and stretched. He could feel her eyes on him, like twin pricks of sunshine on his person - just as he'd intended. He didn't wear his swimming trunks for nothing, after all.

Besides, it was only right for him to return the favor.  
  
After a few moments of sufficiently showing off his body, he dove in.  
  
The water felt cool and refreshing on his burning skin. Rising up to the surface, he faced her direction, and felt intense satisfaction at the fact that she _still_ hadn't torn her attention away from him. "Care to join me?"  
  
"No." She gave a little shake of her head and stood. "You can drown in that pool for all I care."  
  
Her heartlessness knew no bounds, didn't it? Then again, so did his. "Why? Are you scared?"  
  
She glared at him. "Of you? Never."  
  
"Prove it. Swim with me."  
  
He'd always known she was deathly allergic to cowardice.

Seeing her dive so neatly next to him, he was suddenly very grateful for it.


	7. Flee

This was the easiest way, Rachel thought. Rebuilding herself would be better if she did it elsewhere, without the familiar and painful reminders of what she could have - if only she'd been loved as much as she loved.

Was she fated to always end up alone? What could she have done to deserve this? Was she _so_ unworthy of love?

Who even knew she was capable of giving it?  
  
Rachel pursed her lips against these sordid thoughts and rose to her feet just after her flight had been called.  
  
From now on, Young Do would become part of the past she had to forget.

 _A fresh start._ Yes. That was what she needed now.

Yoo Rachel had always been strong. This time would be no different.

She would persevere. She would endure.  
  
To do otherwise would be unacceptable.


	8. Jarring

"...a convenience store? Are you _stupid_?"

Young Do had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from grinning outright. The bright indignation coloring Rachel's voice? He'd probably never get tired of hearing it. "You demanded I tell you where I want to eat. I told you it's in there. And now you're complaining? Do you want to die?"  

She showed no fear of his threat - as always. " _Of course_ I'm complaining. Why are you bringing me here? It's a _peasants'_ store!" 

He sighed. Maybe he  _was_ stupid for bringing her here. "I just thought--" 

There was a story behind his choice, one he had yet to share with her. If she agreed to eat with him  _now,_ maybe he'd tell her all about it. 

Suddenly he was aware that she was staring at him, and more and more he was beginning to realize that maybe he _was_ stupid for bringing her here. Giving her a bright, false smile, he was about to ask where she wanted to eat, when-- 

"You should have told me before picking me up." She gave a quick look downwards and frowned even more. "You should have thought about telling me first. It seems I've overdressed." 

Young Do stilled. Was she contemplating his proposal? 

One look at her face, and he realized... perhaps she was. 

His heart suddenly full, he let his finger trail down from her diamond earrings, to the fur lining her coat, to the bracelets she wore - before entwining his hand with hers. "I can always fix that." 

She drew her hand away. "Ya, Young Do. Be serious!" 

"I _am_ serious. Something about peasant stores... make me hungry. Let's go in?" He looked at her hopefully. 

Rachel pursed her lips until they were but a thin line on her face. Then, she sighed and said, " _Fine._ But next time, I get to decide where we'll eat." 

"You also get to decide _everything_ we do after. Understand?" But he was smiling.  _Giddy,_ more like it. 

He knew Yoo Rachel like the back of his thumbs. For her to give in to his whims like this-- 

\--Maybe this relationship had some hope, after all.


	9. Passive

This was a mistake. Maybe she shouldn't even be here.  
  
But the door of Young Do's suite loomed before her, and she was never a coward - not when she was already here.  
  
She pursed her lips. Might as well get it over with.  
  
Her hand was midway to knocking when the door swung open on its own. Instinctively, Rachel stepped back - only to find Eun Sang curiously peering at her from behind that very door.  
  
"Rachel? What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
Rachel's heart was constricting. For a moment, she couldn't breathe; somewhere in her head was a buzzing that was hard to kill. But the evidence was damning; just after they'd fought, Young Do apparently sought solace in Eun Sang's arms. In his own suite. Where they--  
  
"What am I doing here?" The question sounded so absurd. For now, Rachel wanted nothing more than to throw something at Eun Sang's face - anything to get her off Young Do's property. "Shouldn't _I_ be the one asking _you_ that?"  
  
Her voice sounded shrill to her own ears, but only because her throat was so tight, as if two hands were pressing on it. She contented herself with glaring at Eun Sang for all she was worth, even as her hand itched for something to slap. Why wasn't this peasant _moving_?  
  
"Have you no shame?" Rachel asked, unable to stop herself. "Did you get bored with Tan already? What, you want to prove to yourself how potent your charm is? Is Tan not rich enough for you? Is that why you're angling for Young Do, too?" She would not cry. No, she would  _not._  
  
For a moment, it looked like Eun Sang was tempted to respond to her accusations in kind. Instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Don't get mad, Rachel. I'm not here alone. Tan's with me. We visited Young Do together."  
  
_We're not doing what you think we're doing._  
  
The explanation sounded bland to Rachel's ears. All she could see - all she could feel - was the ugly picture that her mind was constructing.  
  
"Maybe I should... tell Young Do that you're here--"  
  
"--no." Rachel's hand shot out to stop the other girl in her tracks. "No." _I don't need your fucking help._    
  
Maybe this was an omen. A sign that whatever was happening between her and Young Do, the shadow of Eun Sang would always be between them.  
  
At that moment, she truly, _truly_ hated Eun Sang.  
  
Rachel knew she had to get out of here. She had to leave. Staying here would make her do something she'd enjoy and  _probably_ eventually regret - and she wasn't stupid enough not to realize that indulging in her whims now would be a big mistake, in the long run.  
  
"Forget that you saw me here," she said, letting Eun Sang's arm go. "Have fun with your little visit to Young Do," she sneered, before turning on her heels and leaving.

_This was a mistake._


	10. Announcements

In her line of work, Lee Esther had come to expect the unexpected. Hardly anything fazed her nowadays; an animal could have barged into her office and she'd barely blink in front of it.  
  
Choi Young Do, from his shiny, custom-made shoes to his easy, disarming grin, was proving to be quite the exception.  
  
"Let me get this straight," she said, turning her attention from one urgent matter to the one facing her now. "You want _me_ to announce _your_ engagement?"  
  
"Yes," he replied quickly, almost _happily_. He bowed. "I will be most obliged if you will do that for me."  
  
Esther entertained the thought for all of two seconds before quickly dismissing it. "I understand that your father is... _away_. But you seem to be forgetting that we did not push through with the wedding. I'm afraid I can't help you with the announcements, seeing as we're not family."   
  
Young Do leaned forward, and Esther could almost see the mischief radiating from his eyes. "Oh, but we will be."  
  
She frowned. "How--?"  
  
"I thought I told you to _not_ start talking to her without me?"  
  
Esther looked up, in time to see her daughter enter her room without preamble. She then took the seat next to Young Do and all but glared at the world as her usual manner of pleasantries. "Hello, Mother."

Something to be amiss, here. As soon as Rachel had taken her seat, Young Do had scooted closer to her, then placed his arm over her shoulders. Her daughter barely blinked, which to Esther was quite... unusual.  
  
"I was just... laying out the foundation in time for an announcement of your own," he said, smiling.  
  
Rachel looked pleased. "Good. I didn't want her to hear the news from someone else. I _am_ her daughter, after all."  
  
Esther raised a brow. Uneasiness was never a friend of hers, and it wasn't a welcomed feeling now. "While I always enjoy taking time to talk with the two of you, I'm sure you'll understand that I am quite busy nowadays--"  
  
"Mother," Rachel cut in. "Young Do and I have decided... to..." Her brows furrowed. "We've decided to get married."  
  
Esther was quite certain the world stilled for precisely three seconds. "--what?"  
  
Young Do took Rachel's hand in his own and, facing Esther, said, "I proposed to your daughter last night. She accepted."  
  
"I'm engaged to Choi Young Do, Mother," Rachel affirmed, and as always her daughter looked unaffected, save for the death grip she had on Young Do's hand. "You should be pleased. Looks like the merger between your company and Choi Dong Wook's will still happen, though in entirely different hands."

"This time, a wedding _will_ occur," Young Do said, sharing a look with Rachel. "I'll make sure of it."  
  
For a moment, Esther found herself unable to speak. Logically and financially speaking, this was a good opportunity for both their families. But society's a cruel, cruel thing and she was certain it would find a way to sully her daughter, should she pursue this... venture.

Lee Esther might be a businesswoman, but she was a mother first and a mother would do whatever she could to protect her child.  
  
"You were... almost brother and sister," she said, trying to find the words to express her thoughts. "Have you two forgotten that?"  
  
"We are mindful of the fact. But we're _more_ aware that you and my father didn't push through with the wedding," Young Do said, an odd glint in his eyes.  
  
Esther sighed. "The history is still there. People _will_ remember the past. Did the two of you decide on this without consulting anyone first?" She directed her attention on her daughter. How could Rachel do this without her knowing? Had she and Young Do been... intimate?  
  
"We're both adults," her daughter said, as if reading her mind. "What we do is our business and never others'. Why should we care about what others will say?"  
  
Esther chuckled humorlessly. "Do I have to explain _why_ you should care? Rachel. No matter what you think, I raised you better than that." She turned to Young Do. "Don't waste your time telling me that you love my daughter. If you did, you wouldn't have proposed to her in the first place."  
  
Young Do looked away, his face grim.

"I'm sorry," Esther said softly. "But this is--"  
  
"You don't get to oppose this," Rachel replied, now tight-lipped and rigid. "I put up with your sham of an engagement with his father for a long time, remember? Unlike you, I chose Young Do for reasons other than money. _You have no right to oppose this_!"  
  
"Rachel," Young Do said. "I believe your mother just need some time to think." He pulled Rachel to her feet, faced Esther and bowed. "We'll be leaving. Please let us know if you need anything."  
  
_Please call us if you changed your mind._  
  
Wordlessly, Esther watched Young Do practically pull Rachel behind him.  
  
She sighed.

A mother would do whatever she could to protect her child.

Perhaps, someday, Rachel would understand _why_ she did what she did today.


	11. Yes

"I haven't seen you in... what, six years?"  
  
"Since we graduated," she affirmed, daintily cutting through her meal. Rachel paused, then said, "Not like we ran in the same circles again after school."  
  
With Dong Wook in jail, it was up to Young Do to step up and do whatever he could to salvage their chain of hotels. Good thing he had a decent head on his shoulders, despite his thirst for money being slightly less than his father's.  
  
"A pity, that," Young Do said lightly, though a part of him was surprised he actually meant it. "I could have used some sexiness in the circles I ran in."  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes, and Young Do was again reminded that she wasn't one to fall easily for empty platitudes. "You haven't really answered my question."  
  
"...which was?"  
  
She lowered her fork and arched a brow at him.   
  
_Fine_. "I'm here for probably the same reason you are," he said lightly, taking a drink from his wineglass.  
  
"I didn't realize you're here looking for a prospective husband, too." She smirked.  
  
He nearly choked on his wine. "--what?"  
  
Rachel cocked her head to one side. "At least, that's what all people here tell me I _should_ be doing, instead of saving my company." She grabbed her glass of wine and took a very angry sip of it. "Idiots."  
  
Young Do looked at her closely. In their world, women with wealth and pedigree like hers rarely got old without being shackled to someone. The fact that, here she was, nearly mid-twenties and _still_ single said something about her money - or her viability as a potential wife.  
  
"Is it true, then?" he asked carefully, "RS International... is in trouble?" He's heard rumors, but nothing concrete. Best hear it from the company's daughter, he thought.    
  
"No." The denial came fast and quick that he realized it _was_ true, despite her answer. She glanced at his face quickly and said, "We're nowhere near bankruptcy." _Yet_. "But getting people here to invest in us would bring in more profit - something we can hardly turn away."  
  
"And you'll need an accessory to make that happen." Funny how their lives worked.  
  
It was easy to discern just what Rachel thought of _that_ based from her expression. "In the form of a soon-to-be husband, yes. You don't happen to have any of those lying around, do you?"  
  
"Actually..." He smiled, tongue behind his teeth. "I _may_ have a few ideas..." _Me_.  
  
Rachel paused and _looked_ at him. Young Do awarded her with his most innocent-looking expression. Really, a few minutes more and she would most definitely shoot his preposterous proposal down; he was certain of it. He could almost hear her words now...  
  
" _Actually_ ," Rachel cleared her throat, and looked anywhere but at him. "That just might work. Yes."  
  
He blinked. For a moment, all his mouth could utter was, "--what?"  
  
"Are you available tomorrow? We can start pretending then. Pick me up at 8. Thank you for the dinner." It happened so quickly: Rachel finished her drink, picked up her bag, and left him alone on the table before he could utter another word.

At no point did she try calling his bluff off.  
  
Young Do blinked again. 

Just _what_ did he get himself into?


	12. Underneath

Well,  _this_ was such a lovely way to start her day.

Someone, some _idiot_ , had the gall and audacity to vandalize Rachel's locker. They used red spray paint over her things, not leaving anything unscathed, and it looked a mess. It  _was_ a mess. A horrible, ugly, unsightly mess.

From behind her, she could hear muffled gasps and open laughter directed upon her person.  _She deserved it_ , they said _. She's already a nobody_ , they said.  _Someone take her picture now!_ they said.

She refused to cry. Stonily, she stared at her wrecked things and blinked back whatever moisture was beginning to gather in her eyes.

At that moment, she truly, _truly_ hated everyone around her.

Surprisingly, someone bumped into her side and she looked up, a curse burning on her lips - only to find Young Do frowning at the ruined contents of her locker.

He sighed. "Ya, Yoo Rachel," he said, almost bored. "What are you going to do?"

"What am _I_  going to do?" she repeated incredulously. What, did he expect for her to bawl her eyes out? Scream in frustration? Show any sign that this  _affected_ her, in any way?

She gave him her heartless smile, slammed her locker door shut and said, "The question you should be asking me is, what will everyone in this school do after _I'm_ done with _them_?"

The very next day, almost everyone in the school found that the contents of their lockers had been switched at random, save for some. No one knew where their things ended up in, or with whom.

She nearly smiled at the chaos.  
  
But there seemed to be something else wrong with the lockers' contents. Didn't they look--  
  
\--wet?  
  
At that moment, Young Do bumped her shoulder, and gave her a grin as wide as day.  
  
She gave him an incredulous look. "Young Do. Did you--?"  
  
He shrugged, full of insolence and false innocence. "Are you accusing me of orchestrating _this_?" he said, loud enough for everyone to hear him. "Ya, do you want to die?"  
  
And before she could respond to that, he'd left her standing in the hallway - whistling as he walked away.


	13. Incidents

Her coffee had long since grown cold before her as her attention was drawn to her phone. Their stocks had plummeted, despite their best efforts. Despite _everything._  How could this happen? How did--  
  
Suddenly, she sensed a presence from behind her. Frowning, she said in perfect English, "I will order more when I'm ready. Understood?"  
  
"You'll have to speak in Korean, Sister. My English's a bit rusty."  
  
Hearing his voice, Rachel was certain her very blood froze. She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.  
  
Which gave Young Do the opportunity to trail his impertinent fingers along the side of her neck, and sit in front of her.  
  
 _Shit_.   
  
This shouldn't be happening.   
  
But the truth couldn't be denied: he's here. In the flesh.  
  
Rachel couldn't help it; her eyes devoured him. It had been, what, three years since she'd left? For the first year, a foolish part of her hoped he would come find her, despite their separation. When he didn't, she dealt with the second year armed with the understanding that she wasn't important enough. She'd like to think that the early months in her third year had strengthened - hardened - her heart even more.

He was but a faint memory of her past. She was  _strong._

But now that he was here, she didn't _feel_ strong. As always, there was that familiar weakening in her knees that she'd felt whenever he was in the vicinity, a feeling that she'd hated - even now.  
  
 _Especially_ now.

She loathed that she  _had_ to force herself to remain calm.

"Got nothing to say?" Young Do said, a sly smile decorating his lips. He crossed one leg in front of the other and raised a brow at her.  
  
Her mouth had gone dry, but she refused to drink. It would have been another display of weakness; something she'd rather not have him see. Instead, she asked, "How did you find me?"  
  
He chuckled. "You're implying that I tried."  
  
 _That_ stung. That stung and _fuck him;_ of course he didn't. She was a fool to even hope it. She'd become such a stupid fool because of Choi Young Do and she realized - yes, she was right to leave. Her fingers itched to throw her glass of water at his stupidly arrogant face; she had to stop herself from doing  _that,_ too.

"Then again, it's not _my_ fault the Jeguk Group's reach is farther than ours." Young Do frowned, inspected his immaculately groomed fingers. "I guess I'll just have to remedy that."

She settled on straightening her spine and meeting his look dead-on. "Let me revise my question, then. Why are you here?"  
  
Looking around him, he said, "Don't get too attached to this hotel, understood? I'm going to acquire it."  
  
" _Business_ , then." She nearly choked on the words.  
  
He shrugged, his eyes never leaving her face. "What other reason is there?"  
  
 _Me. Tell me you're here because I'm here. Tell me you looked for me. Tell me--_  
  
She smirked. "You're right. There isn't any other reason." And Rachel stood, intent on leaving him without any other word.  
  
Only he got to stop her intentions, stop _her_ , when his arm suddenly shot out to cage hers in a firm, almost bruising grip.  
  
"You don't get to leave without my permission," he said, his eyes wild, his lips thin. "Do you understand? Not again."  
  
She turned to glare at him. Rachel tried to pull her arm free - to no avail. "What makes you think you have any right to tell me what I can or can't do? Ya, Young Do. Who do you think you are?"  
  
Slowly, he stood and towered over her. "Three years, Rachel. Three fucking years and you really think I'll let you disappear on me again?" His grip tightened - and she couldn't help it; she winced.  
  
Instantly, he let go of her arm and cursed.  
  
"Careful there," she said snidely, fighting the urge to rub at her skin. "Any more of that and I'll start to believe you actually missed me."  
  
"And if I did?" he asked, refusing to look at her now. "What are you going to do about it?"  
  
It irked her to find out that she had no response to _that_.


	14. Lackadaisical

Rachel had always been methodical.

By the time she was done cutting her meal into tiny pieces, the meat barely resembled the perfectly grilled steak it once was. Yet she did not put any of it in her mouth, as her mother's fake and calculated laugh had already robbed her of any desire to eat.

Quickly, she glanced beside her, found that, like her, Young Do had barely touched any of his food. Unlike her, however, he'd directed his efforts into stonily staring at the wall behind his father's head. His wine glass had long since been devoid of its content, and the waiter was in no hurry to refill it.

They've barely made it through the main course, and already her head was throbbing. Still, she remained silent, as she had no desire to partake in their discussions, just as they've shown no interest in including her.  
  
Young Do uncrossed his long legs and crossed them again, and shot her a look she couldn't decipher. She rolled her eyes in response, since he seemed to be expecting one. She drank her wine daintily, and sorely wished she could empty it in a single gulp - like he had.   
  
In front of her, Esther laughed again, a tinkering sound that grated on Rachel's bones.

At that moment, she truly, truly hated her mother.


	15. Zenith

"--Maybe you should slow down!"  
  
Young Do scoffed. "Since when have you been a responsible citizen?"  
  
"Since always!" Rachel hit his arm, then tightened her hold on his waist. "Why are we rushing, anyway?"  
  
"We're not," he replied, and, because he wanted to, he placed a hand over hers and squeezed. "I just wanted to show you how fun and fast it is to ride with me."  
  
"You don't have to show me that, stupid," she said. But a roar from his engine made her laugh with glee. "I know it already."  
  
They were surpassing the speed limit, he knew. He didn't care; all he wanted to do now was to make her feel good somehow - and judging from her shrieks of joy and how tightly she was holding on to him, Young Do was fairly certain he was meeting his goal. She'd always enjoyed riding with him, after all - even if she'd never admitted it out loud.  
  
It was an odd thing. For someone so cold and reserved on normal occasions, Yoo Rachel could be a wild, passionate person in others. A sly grin appeared on his mouth as his thoughts turned to more sly things. He wondered... oh, how he wondered--  
  
And then it happened so suddenly; one moment his eyesight was fine and the next minute stars have exploded in his vision and he was _blinded_ , out of control, swerving--  
  
His motorcycle careened sharply to the side, with the concrete rising up eagerly to meet them.

Something erupted outside his helmet and his body skidded, bounced, curled into itself.   
  
That was the last thing Young Do could recall that night.


	16. Echo

It happened on the third day after she woke up. Rachel was discussing options with her mother on how to cover her bald spot  when someone knocked on her door. Lee Esther rose to open it, and Rachel looked on, mildly interested, as a seemingly heated yet hushed discussion ensued between her mother and whoever did the knocking.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked, as the door obscured the identity of her visitor.  
  
Esther paused and turned to her, a forced smile on her face. "Never you mind. I--"  
  
But then the door fully swung open and lo and behold, _Choi Young Do_ lumbered towards her bed and if she hadn't been so surprised by his presence she would have asked about his apparently very broken leg.   
  
"Rachel," he said, and he took another clumsy step towards her until he was but an arm's reach away. "Rachel. You're awake. Thank god. The doctors said--"  
  
"Of course I'm awake, _obviously_ ," she responded, brow arched at him. He was wearing hospital clothes, too. Had he been admitted as well?  
  
His eyes fluttered, closed, and she could see relief fill his expression. Then, "I'm glad. _God_ , Rachel. I didn't-- I'm sorry--" He reached for her hand; realizing his intent, she angled it away.  
  
"I'm sure you understand that my daughter needs her rest, Young Do," Esther said, coming to sit beside Rachel's bed and turning a civil - if icy - look his way. "And, well, to be honest, so do you."  
  
"I'm _not_ leaving her," Young Do said, glaring at Esther.  
  
Rachel scoffed at his vehemence. "You should," she said. "You look far worse than I do. I have no use for you being here, especially if you so decide to collapse on my floor. Besides, Kim Tan might come to visit." She smoothed her bedspread and wished, with all her might, that her mother had brought a hat for her to wear. Her bald spot was quickly becoming her most hated thing in the world - an annoyance, _that_.  
  
She was so immersed in her dark thoughts that for a few seconds, she was blissfully unaware of the looks given to her by her mother and visitor. When she _was_ , Rachel asked, indignantly, "...what?"  
  
"Since when do you care about Kim Tan?" Young Do scoffed, and Rachel rolled her eyes at him.   
  
"Since I'm his _fiancee_ ," she shot back, and _god_ , could he be more stupid? "I thought your leg was the only thing broken in you. But now I'm reminded that your head is, too. Silly me."  
  
Her mother was wearing this indecipherable look on her face that alarmed Rachel. But before she could ask, Esther stood and walked out the door without another word - much to Rachel's surprise.  
  
"Fiancee?" Young Do asked, his voice hoarse, and she looked at him again, impatience brightening her tone.  
  
"I'm sure you know the meaning of the word," she responded haughtily. "Grab a magazine and read all about it - _if_ you can."  
  
The stupidity of the conversation was making her head pound; why wouldn't he just leave? Her engagement to Kim Tan was common knowledge. How dare he--

Suddenly, Young Do managed to fairly lunge and grab at her arm, and his crutch fell uselessly to the side as the result of his actions. "Rachel.  _What_  the fuck are you talking about? You're not--"

"Let me go!" Using all her might, Rachel pushed him off of her and succeeded in freeing her arm from his hold.  
  
Unable to find his footing, Young Do fell to his ass on the floor. Cursing, he looked up and asked her, "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
"Me? You're asking _me_? You're the one who grabbed me and now you're asking what the hell is wrong with _me_?" Quivering with anger, she took a pillow and threw it at his head. "What the hell is wrong with _you_? Get the fuck out of my room!"  
  
"Rachel--"  
  
"Please escort this young man out," Lee Esther said, and from behind her two aides rushed to Young Do's side to do precisely just that, despite his protests, despite his struggles - despite his pleadings.  
  
It was the latter that shook Rachel to the core; he was begging not to leave her, he was begging to stay with her, and just _what the fuck_ was that about?  
  
"I want to go home," she told her mother, feeling tiredness seep into her bones.  
  
"Yes," Esther said, tucking a stray hair behind Rachel's ear. "We will."


	17. Comfort

His head was pounding. His bones were throbbing and his skin - the entire length covered by the cast - was itching like _fuck_.  He hadn't the luxury of time to shower after those laborious hours of therapy; he could smell himself and he was fairly certain he didn't smell like roses and shit.  
  
All things considered, this would have been a _good_ day.  
  
But what made this a bad, disgusting, extraordinarily awful day was the fact that one Yoo Rachel was sitting across from him, daintily sipping her fruit drink and looking delectably pretty as though she hadn't been the cause of the recent turmoils in his life.  
  
_Fuck_.  
  
"And to whom do I owe the pleasure of your company, your highness?" he asked, teeth bared. Pleasantries be damned. It was easier to fall back on his old habits of being an asshole, anyway.  
  
Judging from how her back stiffened at his words, he guessed she sort of expected it.   
  
_Smart girl.  
_  
Rachel lowered her drink and glanced at him like he was scum beneath her lovely feet. "I figured I owe you one, for so thoroughly making a scene at my home."  
  
There were guests there, he recalled. Young Do chuckled at the memory of them being scandalized by his uninvited, unkempt presence, especially when he demanded that Rachel come down from her room to talk to him - _or else_. Her mother - bless her - had made certain to remedy the situation by unceremoniously throwing him out, damaging his leg _again_ and necessitating a return trip to the hospital.  
  
A jolly good time, that.  
  
"I gave you the choice to avoid it," he said, smirking. "You refused."  
  
Rachel squared her shoulders and shot back, "Were you really expecting me to face you when you were acting like an ass?"  
  
"When was I not?" he retorted. Honesty was something he was good at, after all.  
  
She glared at him and muttered something under her breath.  
  
Was he getting under her skin again? _Good_. That's progress, at least. "Well, good thing we're here, aren't we? I don't think even you are heartless enough to throw me out of a _hospital_. Not when I'm the patient and you're merely--"  
  
"How's your leg?"  
  
The sudden turn in their conversation made him pause, but he decided to humor her by replying, "Still broken. _Obviously_." He made a show of gesturing at his limb.  
  
She took to sipping her drink again. "You're not wearing crutches."  
  
Young Do leaned forward and wagged his brows at her. "The depth of your observations _astounds_ me, Rachel. What's next - you're going to tell me I stink?"  
  
"Ya, Young Do. I'm _trying_ to make conversation here," she snapped, slamming her glass down the table. "If I recall, you're the one who's been relentlessly hounding me to talk to you--"  
  
"I guess I got tired of you pushing me away," he retorted, and there was little amusement in him now.  
  
"I was--" Rachel pursed her lips. "You know _why_."   
  
_Retrograde amnesia._  
  
And here he thought that shit only happened in dramas and movies.  
  
He rubbed his nape in an effort to distract himself from how itchy his leg was - and from how this talk was turning out. "Why come to me now, Rachel?" he asked, and he didn't even hide how tired he was. "What do you want?"  
  
She reached into her bag and took out a stark red envelope with a familiar engraving and waved it for show and--  
  
\-- _oh_.  
  
"Is this real?"  
  
Mutely, he watched her as she watched him. She tossed the envelope at the table between them, as though her fingers hurt just by touching it.  
  
Young Do held his breath, a thousand thoughts running in his head. This whole thing would have been funny as fuck if it had happened to, say, Kim Tan and Cha Eun Sang. It would have been _fitting_ , even, for how those two broke his fucking heart.  
  
But it was happening to him and Yoo Rachel and fuck, fuck, _fuck_ everything.  
  
"What do you think?" he asked, moving to get the envelope, though of course he knew every detail in it. "Do you think I would have produced a thousand invitations for our engagement party just for kicks?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." She looked so soft, so _lost_ , just then.  
  
Young Do was not going to pity her. He would  _not_.  
  
"It must be hard," he said, throwing the invitation back on the table and looking right at her. "Knowing you're engaged to someone, only to wake up and find out you're engaged to another. It must be _so hard_ for you."  
  
Rachel looked as though she wanted nothing more than to slap him.  
  
What he didn't say was how hard it had been for _him_ as well, knowing that the woman he-- well, that _Rachel_ only remembers Kim  _fucking_ Tan as her fiancé and not Choi Young Do when they had been going out for two fucking years now, when he'd just managed to get her to say yes, when they've been so happy and so close they practically had each other's breathing patterns fucking _memorized_ \--  
  
When he was basically pouring out his soul to her and begging her to _listen to him_ , and all the while she was regarding him like he was dirt between her toes.  
  
Yes. It must be so hard for _her_.  
  
 "I didn't come here to be pitied," she snapped.  
  
Young Do scratched his brow and said, "No. You just came here to find out if I was sick in the head enough. Or _maybe_ you came here with an offer to pay back all the charges I had to shoulder for cancelling everything at the last minute?" He leaned back and smiled. "It's okay. They were negligible fees, anyway."  
  
"Ass," she said, teeth clenched, and he could _see_ her desire to claw his eyes out. "If this is how you treat me, then you have a lot of nerve to wonder _why_ I'm finding it so hard to believe that I was ever engaged to _you._ "  
  
He laughed and said the first thing that came to mind: "Not like Kim Tan treated you any better, did he?"  
  
And suddenly he was looking over his shoulder and it took him another half second to realize that he'd just been slapped.  
  
Rachel was on her feet and quivering and he found it difficult to remember when was the last time she'd been so angry with him.  
  
He was also finding it difficult to breathe.  
  
"Don't you ever talk to me again," she said, and she took her bag and left him and _fuck_.  
  
Fuck.  
  
Indeed today  _was_ a bad, disgusting, extraordinarily awful day - thanks to one delectably _lovely_ Yoo Rachel.


	18. Quiet

If glares could burn, one Choi Young Do would have been reduced to nothing but ash. _Worse_ than ash, even, given the severity of her expression.  
  
Of course, all her efforts to mentally murder him went unnoticed given that he was, by all appearances, sleeping.  
  
Sleeping!  
  
In the _library_!  
  
Rachel was internally scandalized. _How dare he_ sully her domain this way!  
  
She closed her book with unnecessary gusto. Failing to rouse him with _that_ , she hefted the book upwards - and slammed its spine against the side of his head.  
  
Firmly.  
  
With enough force to dislodge several thousand brain cells or so.  
  
Assuming he had any of them in the first place.  
  
Rachel fought the urge to grin when Young Do grunted, opened his eyes, and glared right back at her. " _Ya_! What'd you do that for?"  
  
"In case you're not aware, this is the _library_ , not your hotel or bedroom," she sneered. "You should leave since you have nothing worthwhile to contribute here, _obviously_." Her point made, Rachel reopened her book and resumed reading, convinced that, sooner or later, Young Do would do exactly as she'd said.  
  
Except Young Do _never_ did anything exactly as she'd said.  
  
Idiot boy.  
  
He rubbed his temple, those sharp eyes still fixed on her. "I was _resting_ ," he said mutinously. "I was bored."   
  
Rachel rolled her eyes. "And this information interests me how?"  
  
"Harpy," he said, scowling. "Don't you realize this is your fault? I fell asleep waiting for you."  
  
"No one told you to," she said, turning a page, certain that her concentration would come back _as soon as his mouth stopped working -_ somehow. " _I_ certainly didn't tell you to."  
  
"I know. I volunteered." And he smiled.  
  
No, his smile certainly _did not_ evoke any sort of positive feelings in her; she was absolutely certain she was only revolted by its presence in his grotesquely handsome face.  
  
Involuntarily, Rachel squared her shoulders, denying the thought that she ever considered Young Do _handsome_. "I don't care," she said, her eyes glued to words that, infuriatingly, did not make a lick of sense. "Go away."  
  
"What are you even doing here?" he asked, scooting his chair closer to hers.  
  
She couldn't help it; she looked at him. Oh god, he really _was_ an idiot. Why was she even associating with him, anyway?  
  
Oh, right. She wasn't.   
  
Except he kept on finding her at the most inopportune time. For some reason, he seemed fond of zeroing in and attaching himself upon her person the moment he spotted her.  
  
He was like _cancer_ , she thought unkindly. A gangly, long limbed, thick-browed cancer.   
  
How positively annoying.  
  
"Homework," she responded, then wondered _why_ she was even indulging his questions. She reasoned she was only doing it to make him go away quicker. _Whatever_. "Something you should also be doing, but I suppose there _are_ certain perks to being second last in class."  
  
Young Do paused and breathed, loudly, for three seconds. He'd always hated the subject whenever she brought it up.  
  
"Aish," he said, glowering at her. "You think you're so smart."  
  
"Smarter than you," she said, matter-of-factly. Rachel eyed him, daring him to contradict her.  
  
He didn't.  
  
But he _did_ point out, "But still _second_ best." Just to annoy her.  
  
And it worked.  
  
It always did.   
  
It wasn't _her_ fault Chan Young seemed to have a dictionary and the entirety of Google for a brain. How that... that _infant_ always bested her efforts was beyond her mortal comprehension.  
  
And _god damn_ Choi Young Do for bringing out all her academic frustrations by merely existing!  
  
" _Ya_ , Young Do. If you're intent on wasting the oxygen in this library, then you _really_ should just inhale someplace else." Somewhere far and away from her, preferably.   
  
Her words seemed to have the opposite effect on him; he _chuckled_ and dragged himself closer to her. "And if I choose not to?"  
  
Rachel held her ground despite the very uncharitable thoughts swirling in her head. "Then I'm going to have to come up with a valid excuse why I chose to gouge your eye with my pen." And she smiled at him. Sweetly.  
  
She rarely gave in to her violent urges; they were beneath her, she always thought. Surely she could come up with far better solutions than resorting to barbarism.  
  
Young Do, however, somehow managed to push her every button until she was nothing more than a raging homicidal maniac.  
  
Probably seeing that she was halfway serious in her threat, Young Do furrowed his brows and scratched his chin. "Well," he started, slowly, "Then I guess I have no choice but to neutralize the threat."  
  
And - quicker than his gangly limbs should have afforded him - he swiped the pen from her hand, held it over his head, and smirked.  
  
_What_.  
  
"Are you a child?" Rachel snapped, too surprised to come up with a more caustic remark. "Give it back!"  
  
"Make me," Young Do drawled.  
  
Well, that settled it, then. Choi Young Do really _did_ have the mental capacity of a three year old.  
  
Not that _that_ was anything new. Rachel could feel hot air flare into her lungs.  
  
It should have occurred to her that she had three spare pens in her bag. Not that she ever needed them, but it was good to always come prepared in case she lost the one she was currently using--  
  
_\--Or_ if one of them was held hostage by a smugly smiling and mentally decrepit heir of a famous hotel chain.  
  
Which was what was happening today, of all days.  
  
"Choi _Young Do_!" she seethed.  
  
"Yoo _Rachel_!" he said, mimicking her tone. Then he laughed and added, "I told you; you _need_ to make me give it to you." He wagged his brows. "Not as easy as I make it sound, Sister."  
  
She was going to murder him; she really _did_ love that pen.  
  
(no, she didn't.)  
  
And he was laughing at her deep, unending misery.  
  
(she had none.)  
  
Really, he was shameless and annoying and someone _ought_ to taught him a lesson.  
  
And so she did what any sensible, rational, intelligent woman would do in her situation:  
  
Yoo Rachel oh-so-slowly rose from her chair, stepped closer to the side, and deposited herself atop Choi Young Do's lap.  
  
She adjusted her newfound position calmly, gamely, before looking up. She refused to be bothered by the fact that he was looking down on her; he _was_ a gangly growth of a being, after all. She refused to be embarrassed, either.  
  
She _did,_ however _,_ enjoy the bewildered look upon his face and the wide, wide set of his eyes, as well as the slackness of his jaw, as he stared right back at her.  
  
_Who's laughing now?_ she thought.  
  
"My pen," she said primly, extending her hand. It acted like some sort of fleshy bridge between them; she could feel his breath through her fingertips.  
  
Straddling him was not the most comfortable position, she came to realize. Her skirt was hiking up, displaying an ordinate amount of leg - but of course she'd displayed far more than this, so why should she feel ashamed?  
  
(she wasn't.)  
  
Straddling him was not the most comfortable position, but it helped when his other gangly limb shot out and held her by the waist, steadying her. _Warm_ , she thought.  
  
" _My pen,_ Young Do," she repeated, lifting one brow.  
  
Sitting this close to him, she could see the minuscule movements of that petty mouth, its corners erratic as he breathed shallow and quick.  
  
Then his lips widened until she saw the tips of his teeth peeking through.  
  
" _Aish_ ," he said low, eyes fluttering cutely, "I didn't realize how _dear_ to you this pen is."  
  
"All I own are dear to me," she replied, taking another moment to internalize the contrasts of his body.  
  
He snorted.   
  
Rachel glanced up; noticing how slack (and distracted) he'd become, she quickly shot up and grabbed her pen from his hold.  
  
Only then did she move away from him.  
  
"It wasn't _that_ hard," she said, smirking - and earning a full-blown grin from him.  
  
Suffice to say, she wasn't able to study well into that day.


	19. Humor

Choi Young Do had always thought he'd changed. Turned a fucking leaf. Made appropriate life choices so as to make it seem that he was no longer the immature boy picking on other boys _just because_. He even changed his hairstyle so as to reflect the beautiful metamorphosis his inner self had undergone. He was good, now.  
  
But it was tempting - oh so tempting - to throw all of those away if it meant he could break newcomer Park Jun Ho in half.  
  
And he could. _Of course_ he could. He had the strength and fucking rippling muscles to do it. Myung Soo said it so, himself.  
  
But he couldn't. Of course he _couldn't_. Something about morals and ethics and murder not looking good in the resume of the future President of Hotel Zeus and all that fucking righteous bullshit.  
  
Murder wasn't exactly on Young Do's mind when the day started, though.  
  
It all happened when he came to school that same day, found out that they have a new classmate - and that Yoo Rachel had, by some twist of fucking fate, been assigned as the one to tour him around, introduce him to all sorts of things... like a welcome wagon. An evil _,_ _sexy_ , welcome wagon...  
  
...And she actually agreed.  
  
That in itself was already fucking funny. It seemed that others thought so too, because they were murmuring among themselves, wondering what the defrosting Ice Queen thought she was _doing_ \--  
  
It took a furious look from Young Do to shut them the hell up, and his ability to do so seemed to greatly interest Jun Ho. Rachel, on the other hand, merely sneered and rolled her eyes.  
  
Ungrateful harpy.  
  
So _now_ , Young Do had to endure sitting behind the newcomer while _he_ sat beside her and made conversation about planets and Shakespeare and all sorts of intelligent bullcrap.  
  
_And Rachel was indulging him_. She was not shooting him down with well-chosen barbwire for words and twin prinpricks of ice for looks; no. She was actually _talking_ to the newcomer and it would have been cute and groundbreaking had it been not happening in front of Young Do's face.  
  
Not that he had any sort of problem with it.  
  
Not really.  
  
_Nope_.  
  
It was just - _annoying_. So mindlessly annoying that soon he was gritting his teeth and it took a sharp tap from Myung Soo for him to realize he _was_ gritting his teeth.  
  
And so he contented himself with glowering at the back of Jun Ho's head, and kicking the back of his chair - though of course he _had_ to say he was sorry to the guy when he did it each and every time, and soon even Rachel was throwing daggers at him for how often he was doing it since he was disrupting their quiet conversation and Young Do was grinning right back at her because it was so fucking _funny_ -  
  
"Ya! Young Do!" Myung Soo shrieked, and belatedly Young Do realized that class was now over and his feet was now automatically guiding him towards the cafeteria. He was so consumed by his annoyance that he'd gone auto-pilot over his senses - and he didn't even know it.  
  
That didn't mean he didn't notice the way Jun Ho walked Rachel out of the classroom, though, like  _she_ was the newcomer, not him.  
  
Fucking ass.  
  
"Young Do!" Myung Soo repeated, waving his hands in front of Young Do's face.  
  
" _What_?" he snapped, turning murderous eyes on his friend.   
  
"Don't hurt me!" Myung Soo squeaked pathetically, raising his arms to shield his face. "I don't want to die yet! I'm too young and pretty to die!"  
  
Young Do merely glared at him in response.  
  
Seeing that his antics were going nowhere, Myung Soo straightened himself and whined, "Aigoo. Lighten up, will you? It's not like you can actually kill him, you know."  
  
"Kill who?" he replied easily, earning a roll of the eyes from Myung Soo.  
  
"Your 'innocent look' needs more work," he commented, crossing his arms. "See, you really need to convey that you're not-- _Ya_ , Young Do! Where are you going?"  
  
He had no time to answer, because he'd just seen--  
  
\--Rachel pushing Jun Ho into one of the empty classrooms. _The fuck?_  
  
Young Do didn't even think; he started walking to the classroom even _before_ his brain demanded him to. _Not on my fucking watch, you don't._  
  
Not that he had an overactive imagination but see, _so many things_ could happen inside an empty classroom with just two people in it and, well, he was merely looking out for Rachel's welfare, that's all.  
  
Not that that harpy needed any help or anything.  
  
But still, just to be fucking sure--  
  
Soon he'd thrown the door wide open, causing both Jun Ho and Rachel to turn towards him in surprise - though the latter's expression quickly deteriorated into wariness as she watched him stride into the room.  
  
Young Do pasted on his face his infamous feral grin, all niceness and bravado and killer instincts. "I believe it's lunchtime already," he said, hands tucked into his pockets. " _Sister_ , you need to eat."  
  
"I'll eat when I'm ready," she responded, glaring at him. Behind her, Jun Ho raised his brows but said nothing.  
  
Young Do shook his head and said, mockingly, "Aish. Ya, Yoo Rachel. Don't you know lunch is the most important meal of the day?"  
  
"That's breakfast," Jun Ho said easily.  
  
Big mistake.  
  
Soon Young Do was fixing on him his widest, friendliest grin and said, "Is that so."   
  
"Yes," Jun Ho said, smiling back. "I can't believe you mixed them up. I expected better from Zeus' heir."  
  
Silence.

Young Do was already silently contemplating whether or not he needed to string up Jun Ho's corpse in front or at the back of their school for maximum exposure and shock factor when Rachel sighed and turned to Jun Ho. "Like I said before we were so rudely interrupted, I do _not_ appreciate having my talents doubted. Tell my mother I vehemently refuse to put up with you or her plans any moment longer. Leave this school, die-- I don't care. Just get out of my sight."

To Young Do she said, "And _you_ are an idiot," before prettily stomping her feet out of the classroom.

_Harpy,_ Young Do thought for the third fucking time, turning just in time to see her disappear out the door.

"Sorry you had to see that," Jun Ho said casually, walking towards the center of the room where Young Do stood. He scratched his head. "Lee Esther did warn me about how smart her daughter was, but I didn't think she'd discover about me this early. It hasn't even been a full day."

Already Young Do's interest in him was dwindling, not after Rachel had so quickly discarded him. But everything about this newcomer was becoming clearer, at least. "I didn't realize Rachel's mother would stoop so low as to send someone to spy on her daughter for her," he said casually, stepping closer to Jun Ho. He was half a head shorter than Young Do, he realized. Thinner, too. Young Do grinned.

Jun Ho laughed. "You're smarter than you pretend to be."

"And you don't belong here."

He shrugged. "My enrollment forms say I do." At Young Do's look, he continued, "What can I say? The ways rich people invent just to waste money. I guess you're familiar with them too?"

Young Do smiled, despite the rage boiling at the pit of his stomach. He'd always thought Lee Esther was calculating. He didn't realize she was heartless, too. "Aigoo. Now I'm confused. Help me figure something out: which one is more repulsive? The one who pays for something to get done, or the one who does it?"

Jun Ho straightened himself. "I don't understand why _you're_ so affected. I was sent to observe Rachel's performance, not yours."

"Then your assignment is a spectacularly short one, seeing that Rachel's performance is good."

Jun Ho shrugged again. "Not according to her mother, but I don't need to discuss specifics with you, do I?" He smiled at Young Do and strode towards the exit--

\--only for Young Do to grab his arm to stop him. "Don't get _too_ comfortable," he advised sagely, quietly. "You'll never know when, exactly, is your last day here. Understood?"

Jun Ho grinned, and it took everything in Young Do not to punch him in the face. "That's not for you to say, Choi Young Do." Jun Ho then effortlessly freed himself from the hold on him - much to Young Do's surprise.

_Fuck_.

He had always thought he'd changed. Turned a fucking leaf. Made appropriate life choices so as to make it seem that he was no longer the immature boy picking on other boys  _just because_. He even changed his hairstyle so as to reflect the beautiful metamorphosis his inner self had undergone. He was good, now.

But it was tempting - oh so tempting - to throw all of those away if it meant he could break newcomer Park Jun Ho in half, right there and then.


	20. Opulent

"I was right," he said from behind her.

She turned to face him, brow already arched. "About what?"

"Bringing you to this party." Young Do tucked his hands in his pockets and insolently grinned.

"There was no 'bringing'," she huffed. "I was already thinking of going here, myself."

"Ya, but my asking you to go with me must have _some_ weight in your decision."

He reached forward to touch the edge of a ribbon hanging from her dress. She swatted his hand away, saying, "You flatter yourself too much."

"Just enough, I think," he said, smirking.

They were standing in near darkness; an isolated part of the ballroom that separated them from the rest of the group. Rachel had sought reprieve from the sheer  _stupidity a_ nd inanenessof this activity; she was mentally asking herself why she'd come when the primary reason suddenly intruded her thoughts.

She strangled the urge to sigh at the sight before her. As always, Young Do in formal wear was truly... well, _something_. And the shadows playing about his face made her itch to reach up and touch him, make sure that his skin was as warm as hers.

Of course, she did none of those things. She _was_ a rational human being gifted with intelligence, after all.

But... just once, just for tonight, maybe she could--

_God_.

Irritated at the direction her mind was taking, Rachel grabbed a drink from a passing server and sipped. Might as well get drunk when she already felt like one.

Feeling Young Do's eyes on her, she squared her shoulders and snapped, "Don't you have some socializing to do?"

"If by 'socializing' you mean talking non-stop to all the old croaky bastards around here--"

" _Young Do_ ," she cautioned automatically.

"I don't need to," Young Do continued, "since it seems you already did the sweet-talking for me."

She glanced up at him; noting that his face betrayed none of his thoughts, she scoffed, "I did no such thing."

Young Do chuckled, the sound making her skin tingle in ways that annoyed her. Unmindful of her response - thank _goodness_ \- he stepped even closer and said, "What did you tell Kwan Ji to make him want to invest in me?"

She stared at him for a good three seconds before laughing and asking, "What made you think I talked to him about _you_?"

He shrugged. Playing with the ends of her ribbon again, he said, "See, I think there must be _some reason_ why, after your talk with him, he sought me out to discuss business with me." Young Do smiled, but it was too wide to be sincere. "Something he never even considered, before."

Rachel frowned. "I don't like what you're insinuating."

"And you think _I_ do?"

Where was this conversation even going?

"I only told him that RS International is interested in finding ways to work with Zeus Hotel," she replied, gripping her wine glass tighter, fighting the urge to throw it at him. She absolutely loathed having to explain herself - and she hated him for making her do it. "Which is true, _unfortunately_."

His face now reflected a bit of tension she was feeling. "Ya, that deal's already inked."

"Of course I know that," she snapped. _Idiot_. "I'd have thought Kwan Ji investing in your hotel would be good news for you."

"It is," he said after a bit of time, refusing to meet her eyes. "I just thought--"

"That I sold myself for you?" The idea sounded ludicrous and tasted bitter on her tongue 

" _Rachel_ ," he cautioned.

"That's what you thought, didn't you?" The arrested look on his face confirmed her thoughts and Rachel laughed - but it sounded too brittle to be sincere. "If he's interested in you because I am--" _Fuck_. "--then that's merely a coincidence, not at all something I intended." Rachel stepped closer to him - so close she could feel his breath on her mouth - and said, " _Again_ , you flatter yourself too much, Choi Young Do."

She was shaking, Rachel realized. Any moment now she was fit to explode, but she would not give him the satisfaction of witnessing her wrath. So she looked directly into his eyes, sneered, and walked away.

Or at least, she started to.

Until Young Do's hand on her arm firmly rooted her to the spot.

_Warm and calloused,_ she thought, then hated herself for such an inane thought.

He sighed. "Would you believe I came here to thank you?"

Rachel rolled her eyes before turning again. "You have a stupid way of doing it."

"It's just-- you--" It seemed like he didn't know what to do with his hands, or his mouth, the way he worked them. He definitely looked pissed as all hell before saying, "I do like that he's investing in my hotel. But I didn't want to think that his investments have any strings attached as far as _you're_ concerned."  

Well, _that_ was certainly rich with implications she had no patience to sort through. "And even if it did, it's my problem, not yours."  
   
For a moment Young Do looked ready to battle her, and _by god_ she was more than prepared to engage him. Something about her expression must have warned him, though, because he then scratched his head and sheepishly said, "Aish. I should have known my chivalry will be wasted on you."

"When was it not?" she shot back. A part of her was disappointed he didn't give her a fight, but another part of her was glad he seemed to accept her logic. "You know better than to think I needed your help when I didn't _say_ it."

"I may need reminding every now and then," he said lightly. 

She shook her head. "You really _are_ an idiot," Rachel told him. 

Young Do laughed. Reaching to pry the empty glass of wine from her hand, he asked, "Wanna help me not be an idiot for the rest of the night?"

She sighed. "Isn't that why you asked me to come here in the first place?"

"You know me too well." He smiled, and moved to offer her his arm - which she took. _Of course._

__God.

Maybe _she_ was the idiot, for harboring some sort of feelings towards Choi Young Do.


	21. Weather

He'd always wondered if Yoo Rachel's hair was as prickly as she was.  
  
Now though, as he grasped the back of her neck - quite desperately, in fact - he realized that it was actually _soft_.  
  
Not that his thoughts were particularly focused on _protein filaments_ right now, especially when she was gripping the sides of his skull like a lifeline while she slanted her mouth over his. Her hands then roamed under his shirt, making him gasp because _fuck_ , her fingers were ice cold.  
  
Not that he minded it much.   
  
He _did_ , however, retaliate by way of snaking a hand under her blouse to tease the warm skin underneath. Young Do must have caught her unawares, because the next thing he knew her nails were digging into his abdomen and it was both painful and _not_ at the same time.  
  
Who knew he had a bit of masochistic tendency?  
  
He knew they both had to breathe, some time. But breathing would mean less time for their mouths to be skinfully acquainted with one another, and Young Do would be damned if he'd let some petty thing as _oxygen_ impede their exploration of this newly-discovered level in their relationship - _if_ it could even be called that.   
  
And so when she drew away from him, he responded by pulling her even closer, unwilling to be apart from her mouth for even one more second.   
  
She yielded to him _again_ , which in itself was a surprise. He was too busy gloating over the fact that he'd apparently unearthed the underlying _sweetness_ in Yoo Rachel - who the ever-loving fuck would have _thought_ \- that it took him a second to realize that she'd pushed him away with such vehemence that he actually fell on his ass. Young Do looked up at her in surprise; then, after realizing that she was now looking at him with much, _much_ horror, started laughing so hard he rolled to his side and wheezed.  
  
"Ya, Choi Young Do!" Rachel screeched, hands curled to fists at her sides. "Stop that, right this instant!"  
  
"You--" Young Do held his stomach, practically radiating glee. And _no_ , he hadn't moved up from the floor yet. "--you _kissed_ me!"  
  
"You grabbed me first!" she said, pointing at him, her hand shaking.   
  
"And so your response to that was to _kiss_ me?" Young Do smirked up at her. "I _like_ how you think. Remind me next time--"  
  
She scoffed. "If you even think there's going to _be_ a next time--"  
  
"I'll make damn sure there is," he declared. "Soon, in fact."  
  
Rachel made a move to kick him, which he dodged by way of a quick shuffling to the side. "Careful, there. I might just grab you down here, which _will_ make you kiss me, and then where will we be?"  
  
"Ass," she hissed.  
  
"That you kissed," he said affably. "And _will_ kiss again."  
  
In all her murderous glory, Yoo Rachel had never looked more beautiful to him.  
  
Good thing he discovered his masochistic tendencies, then.


	22. Kaleidoscope

It would have been easier, Rachel thought idly, if this was all true.  
  
Quietly, she watched Young Do charm a small group of influential women, who so happen to corner the fashion market here in Italy. He gave them all a disarming grin, and Rachel could swear she heard at least one of them giggle.  _Giggle_. As though they were all young students currently enjoying the attention of one dangerously, arrogantly handsome jock.  
  
And in some ways, Choi Young Do still  _was_ the dangerously, arrogantly handsome jock she knew from high school.  
  
He subtly glanced around the room, and Rachel knew the exact moment his eyes found hers because it was exactly the same moment her pulse chose to flutter.  _Idiot_ , she told herself.  
  
Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Rachel walked towards him.  
  
The show had begun.  
  
His smile grew as he watched her approach. "Ah. And here comes the most beautiful woman I've ever known. I was beginning to think my night will be dimmer without her around to brighten it."  
  
Her own smile grew brittler at his effusive words. She'd already told him she hated banality, but  _of course_  he chose to use them still. Rachel took his offered hand and squeezed it as hard as she could - as warning. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, moving to kiss the air next to his cheek. "I had some business to attend to." She nodded at the women as a way of greeting them.   
  
Young Do lifted her hand and kissed it - as though that same hand hadn't tried to hurt him earlier. "No worries," he said. "These beautiful women were keeping me company. My luck for having spotted them earlier while waiting for you."  
  
"I see." Rachel ignored the tingling in her skin as she bowed to the women. "Many thanks for keeping an eye on him."  
  
"It must be hard," one matronly woman said, "having a fiance as gorgeous as yours is. You must be constantly keeping women at bay. I don't envy you." And yet she gave Young Do an overtly flirtatious look.  
  
Joo Ji Hee. Owner of a chain of fashion boutiques all around Europe.   
  
A hopeless flirt as well, as it turned out.  
  
Rachel shrugged. "I trust him," she said giving Young Do what she hoped was an adoring look. "And he knows better than to taint that trust."  
  
Young Do pulled her closer to him, and made a show of playing with one of her dress's ribbons. "That I do," he said affably. "I am a man of certain... intelligence, after all." He gave her another smirk before planting a kiss at her bare shoulder.   
  
Joo Ji Hee and her equally-matronly friends sighed.  
  
Rachel, on the other hand, kept herself from hitting his head with her handbag and chose to murder him with her eyes instead. "What were you talking about?" she asked. As an afterthought she added, "Darling?"  
  
Young Do placed a hand at her hip and shrugged. "I was telling them about RS International."  
  
"Oh," Rachel said. "I see."  
  
As though she didn't know anything about it.   
  
"I didn't realize you were Lee Esther's daughter," Joo Ji Hee said, giving her a considering glance. "You should have said so. Your mother and I know each other, from long ago. A pity we lost touch these past several years."  
  
"Truly a pity," Young Do echoed when Rachel didn't.  
  
Joo Ji Hee cocked her head to one side, still studying them. Seemingly coming into a decision she said, "We ought to have lunch, you and I. Your young man, too. I wish to hear more about Zeus Hotel." She smiled at Young Do.  
  
"I stayed there once," Joo Ji Hee's friend said, batting her completely fake eyelashes at him. "It was beautiful. I recommended it to  _all_ my friends."  
  
Young Do grinned. "Only the best for the best people.  _That_ is Zeus's trademark."  
  
"Tomorrow," Joo Ji Hee reiterated. "We'll  _all_ have lunch. I'll call you once I've decided where."  
  
"Of course," Rachel murmured. "I-- We.  _We_ look forward to your invitation."

"If that is all, ladies," Young Do said suddenly, "Forgive me, but I really do need to dance with my fiancee." And before any of them could speak, he'd already pulled Rachel away from the group and to the dance floor.

Only when they were safe in the confines of dancing people did Rachel hit him on the arm. "Ya, Young Do. Don't you think you're being a little too carefree with manhandling me?"

Young Do lifted the hand he held above their heads, forcing her to twirl in his arms, before pulling her against him. "Well, it's either that  _or_ tell everyone we're just playing pretend. Besides, I haven't... 'manhandled' you yet. Not really." He grinned at her, before whispering in her ear, "Would you like me to?" 

Rachel hated the shiver that ran through her skin just then. "I really don't," she muttered acidly. "Your ad-libs are far from entertaining. I'd rather you stick with what we agreed earlier."  
  
"I seem to recall Joo Ji Hee asking you out for lunch  _because_ of my ad-libs," Young Do said.  
  
"That's beside the point!"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Relax, sister. Don't you think it's right that I find some way for me to be entertained? Our little show is only benefiting  _you_ , after all. I  _could_ be doing something else with my time, instead of having you insult my ad-libbing abilities. Something more...  _fun,_ for me."  
  
She looked away. Truth be told she was surprised she'd managed to get him to agree to play as her fiance  _without_ the benefit of something -  _anything_ \- in return. She was  _still_ surprised to find him around, even if he  _was_ supposed to return to Korea as soon as his business in Italy was done.  
  
That was more than a week ago, by her calculations.  
  
And yet he was still  _here_. With her.  
  
Did it mean something?  
  
Did it have to?  
  
Rachel scoffed at her thoughts and met his gaze dead on. "I told you, I  _will_ compensate you for your time and efforts. I just need to--"  
  
Young Do sounded annoyed as he said, "Ya, Yoo Rachel. Do I sound like I'm asking you to pay me back  _now_? I'm a rich man. I can go without. Besides..." Here he aimed a feline smile at her. "I'm still thinking about exactly  _how_ you'll repay me for my valuable time and efforts." He dragged a finger up her arm. "I'm thinking along the lines of something...  _fun_."  
  
She fought hard against the blush threatening to coat her skin as she swatted his hand away.   
  
Typical,  _typical_ Choi Young Do.   
  
Rachel knew she should have anticipated something like  _this_ , when he unceremoniously agreed to her request. Choi Young Do was, after all, hardly philanthropic. Hearing him say it plainly, however, was still a shock to her system. "You're deluded if you think you can force me into paying you in a manner I don't deem acceptable."  
  
Young Do's face was oddly blank as he said, "Give me a little credit, Rachel.  _Of course_  I know better than force you. Where's the fun in that?" He raised their intertwined hands, twirled her, and pulled her to him again. "Besides, it'll be better if we both enjoy the 'payment options', don't you think?"  
  
Rachel couldn't help it; her eyes were drawn to his mouth, just inches away from her own. And his arms - so warm against her skin.  
  
It would have been easier, Rachel thought again, if  _this_ was all true.  
  
She steeled herself and said, "If Joo Ji Hee invests at least fifty million dollars in RS International... I'll pay you."  
  
Young Do raised his brow, as though waiting for her to continue.  
  
So she did. "In  _whatever_ form you want."  
  
He whistled softly, looking mildly impressed. "That's a  _very_ dangerous proposition you have there for me."  
  
She shrugged. By her calculations, fifty million dollars would be more than enough to pay all her mother's debt. It would be more than enough to stabilize RS International's stocks. It would be more than enough money to manage so she could breathe easy, for the first time in two years.  
  
What? She was desperate enough to ask Young Do to pretend to be her fiance. She was desperate enough to endure everything he did to her. What was pride to her now?  
  
Rachel dragged her finger up his arm and aimed a feline smile at him. "What do you say?"  
  
Young Do grinned.


	23. Momentous

Young Do scratched the back of his neck, then looked around his condominium unit in reverent silence.  
  
This was it. He was leaving.  
  
And there was no turning back now.   
  
He ran his finger along the edge of a table for the last time. He'd had this unit for so long, he'd already lost count of the exact number of years it was his. This-- this was his  _home_. Even if he was alone most days in this spacious room, he'd never felt suffocated or lacking. If he was poetically inclined, he'd say this unit was a part of his soul. Every piece of it reflected a fraction of his being.  
  
And now he was leaving it behind.   
  
It was necessary, he thought for the umpteenth time, when he caught himself wondering  _why_ he sold it in the first place.  
  
A new perspective,  _c_ _hange -_  some things he needed, if he wanted to grow.  
  
And for  _that_ to happen, he needed to let go of some things.    
  
Feeling just a tiny bit lethargic, Young Do unfolded the shades hanging on his neck, placed it on, and turned towards the door--  
  
\--only to find one delectably lovely Yoo Rachel standing there, looking at him like he was a ghost from her past.  
  
Which - come to think of it - he was.  
  
Young Do paused. Thank goodness he had his sunglasses on; it saved her from seeing him grimace in response to her immaculate presence.   
  
And wasn't  _that_ considerate of him?  
  
"Hello, Sister." He spoke first because  _someone_ had to. Keeping his tone light,  _civil_ , he said, "Thank you for dropping by, but there's  _nothing_ to see here. Now move along, be careful not to let the door hit you on your way out--"  
  
"Your staff told me you're leaving." She hurled the words at him like they were accusations rather than truth. Rachel deposited her bag on the counter and marched further in, as though he hadn't spoken at all. "Where are you going? You  _can't_  be leaving."  
  
As though his eyes had a will of their own, Young Do devoured the sight of her - from the top of her delicately coiffed head to the tip of her bejeweled high heels. Simply looking at her made him ache.  
  
Good thing he was already learning to curb his unnecessary hunger of her, or  _this_ encounter would end up messy and embarrassing.   
  
"I can't?" he asked, just to humor her.   
  
Absently, he noted that she was wearing the kind of dress he could easily slip off her shoulders in one tug. Her bag was bigger than usual, meaning it  _could_ contain another dress in case he couldn't control himself from ripping apart her clothes - which happened more often than not, when they were dating.  
  
If he didn't know better, he'd say she came here just to seduce him.  
  
Of course, Choi Young Do, being _Choi Young Do_ , absolutely knew better. He was, after all, merely scum beneath her delectable feet.   
  
In  _her_ opinion.  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked, as if he hadn't spoken. Again.   
  
He sighed. This was getting them nowhere, and truth be told he  _had_ places to be. He was a rather busy and important person, after all.  
  
"Away," Young Do answered simply. "From this place. From  _you_. Does it matter?" He removed his glasses and waved it. "Last I checked, I'm a free man. I can do what I want. Besides, shouldn't  _I_  be asking the questions here? You  _are_  in my property, after all." Before giving her the chance to speak he lazily added, "Why  _are_ you here, Rachel? I was under the impression that you never wanted to see me again."  
  
She crossed her arms and inched her chin up. "I wanted us to talk."  
  
"Talk." He chuckled, scratched his brow insolently. "And we have to do it  _here_ , in my unit? Without informing me first that you were coming?"  
  
"I wanted--" She looked away, bit her lip, and said, in a softer voice, "I wanted to surprise you."  
  
"Consider me surprised," he said. And wasn't  _that_ the truth, considering he was quietly resigned to never seeing her again.   
  
Young Do then smiled at her, and it wasn't a pleasant sight. "But since we already talked, you can say you've accomplished what you came here to do. Unless of course you came here wanting to  _insult_ me, then--"  
  
"I remember," she said suddenly.  
  
He frowned. "Remember what?"  
  
Rachel looked at him, her lovely features mutinous. " _Everything_." She raised her hand, showing him the back of it.  
  
And he found, to his everlasting surprise, that she was wearing her _engagement ring_.  
  
For a second, Young Do forgot to breathe; it was like his own body didn't remember  _how_. All there was, at that moment, was the glint of the diamond ring on her finger. It was the very same one he gave her several months ago, when they were both so,  _so_ happy--  
  
\--before everything went to literal hell between them.  
  
_I remember,_ she'd said.  
  
Blindly, he took a step back and looked at her in utter confoundment.  
  
Why was this happening to him? Had he angered some deity in this life without him knowing it? Because just when he'd managed to reign in all his feelings towards her - just when he could school his features to appear appropriately detached whenever she was around - she reappeared to shake up his entire existence.  
  
Just as she wont to do, even before they went into this relationship. It was one of the things he'd loved about her, truth be told.  
  
But that was in the past; she'd said so herself. Today they were nothing to each other; even  _less_ than nothing, if she was to be asked.  
  
And now--  
  
"How?" he asked, because he had to say  _something_. Anything.  
  
Not that it mattered much, considering just how cluttered his mind was.  
  
She shrugged and said, "Does it matter?"  
  
Yes fuck it,  _yes_. He laughed and it tasted ugly, bitter on his tongue. " _That's_ why you're here? You think you can just walk right in and everything will be the same as it was before? Because you remember?"  
  
"Don't you want it to be?" she demanded.  
  
Young Do shook his head as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You've spent the last five months cringing at the very mention of my name," he pointed out, detesting how his voice sounded then. "You've spent them hating me, mocking me because you thought loving me was utterly beneath you. That you'd never do it. That you'd have to be insane to even entertain the  _idea_."   
  
Oh, how  _angry_ he'd been when he heard her say these words to his face. Yoo Rachel had always been calculating, cold, cruel - lord knew they both were - but rarely had she been deliberately hateful towards  _him_.   
  
At least, not  _after_ agreeing to be his wife.    
  
"And now--  _now_ you're coming back, telling me that you remember everything and just--" Helplessly, he let his arms limp at his side. "What the fuck do you want from me, Rachel?"  
  
She blinked quickly, and to his immense satisfaction he found that she was close - so very close - to crying. Good. If he hadn't decided to focus on his anger and indignation, he might have done the same too,  _and then_  where would they be?  
  
"You don't think I'm aware of that?" she said, uncrossing her arms and balling her hands to fists at her side. " _Of course_  I know what I did. What I said. But can you blame me? I didn't-- I didn't  _remember_. When I did those things, when I said those things--"  
  
"And that excuses you?" he asked incredulously. " _That_ makes what I felt when you said and did those things all right? That I should forgive you because now -  _now! -_  you know better? Is that what you expect me to do?"   
  
Something undefinable flashed in her eyes, and she pushed him - hard. " _Ya_ , Young Do. I'm here, aren't I? I came back for you. _I'm here_ , offering myself to you because I remembered this. I remembered  _u_ _s_. Isn't that enough?"  
  
" _Enough_?" he snarled, stepping closer to her. "Don't make me laugh. You being here is nowhere  _near_ enough."  
  
"You've always been an idiot," she snapped. "I remember  _that_ as well."  
  
Now he  _did_ laugh. Now, he was so close to her he could practically breathe her in. Reaching out to play with the ends of her hair he said, "Ya. You were supposed to be apologizing to me, Sister. Clearly you need better practice at it, because I'm  _really_ not feeling your remorse."  
  
She raised her brow, and at that moment she made a picture of perfect defiance. "Is that so?" she asked, smirking. "Then feel  _this_  instead."   
  
And before he could even say or do anything, Rachel had dragged his face down to her level and kissed him.  
  
Hard.  
  
It occurred to him that he should be fighting her off. That he  _could_ , given the difference between her strength and his. He placed his hands on her shoulders, intending to do just that. But goddamnit he missed this, missed  _her_ , that every fiber of his being screamed for more - more of her skin, more of her warmth, more of  _her_.  
  
Unable to help himself, Young Do pulled her flush against him. Not contented with that, he lifted her off her feet, wrapping her legs around his waist. She responded by snaking her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life. Rachel attacked his neck and sucked the skin near his pulse, making him groan.    
  
" _God_ , Rachel--"  
  
"I want-- please,  _please_ just--"  
  
His body seemed to know where to go before his mind did, because the next thing he knew they were on his bed, messing up the neat arrangement of his housekeeper's.  
  
She brought his face to hers and savagely bit his lip before dragging her hands up his back, bringing his shirt with it. He hissed and sneaked a hand under her clothes, only to find her naked underneath.  
  
He was right. She  _did_ come here to seduce him.  
  
"Minx," he whispered, once he'd ripped the dress off her body.  
  
She laughed. "Why else would I come?"  
  
Young Do grinned at her before kissing his way down, down,  _down_. "Then why don't  _I_  make  _you_ \--"  
  
She gasped.  
  
Some indeterminate time later, Young Do stared up his ceiling, with Rachel haphazardly sprawled all over him. He felt her draw circles along his chest and he sighed, feeling lighter than he ever did in the past months.  
  
_I remembered this. I remembered us._  
  
God, so did he.  
  
"We shouldn't have stayed here," he said, even as he made himself more comfortable. "I already sold it. We should--"  
  
"You  _can't_ sell it," she said, almost petulantly.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? I  _said_ I just did."  
  
"Buy it again." She shifted, planted several kisses along his collarbone. "If you don't, _I_ will. Got it?"  
  
A shiver ran up his spine at her feather-like touches. "Okay."   
  
He felt her smile against his skin. She kissed him up, up,  _up_ , until he could feel her ghosting along the side of his mouth. "Why did you sell it?"  
  
"I wanted to let you go," he said honestly. Young Do opened his eyes to look at her. Lying atop him like that, with her hair mussed and her lips moist and just-kissed, Yoo Rachel had  _never_ looked more beautiful to him. "I stopped hoping that you'll come back. This place reminded me so much of you that I thought-- I never imagined--" Something painful was clogging his throat. Swallowing it, he dragged a finger down her cheek, traced the contours of her mouth. "God, Rachel. I missed you. So fucking much. You have no idea--"  
  
"I know," Rachel said softly. She leaned down, kissed his bottom lip. "I missed you too. And I'm... I'm--" She blinked quickly.  
  
"Sorry?" he guessed, smiling.  
  
"Don't make me say it," she said, pouting.  
  
He laughed. Quickly, he moved so that  _she_ was beneath him. As if he couldn't help himself, he kissed her mouth, breathed her in. "Ya, Yoo Rachel. You're gonna have to do better than  _that_ if you want to make it up to me. All the months of pain and torture I went through without you; you'd have to  _pay_ me for them."  
  
She pulled away to peer up suspiciously at him. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. Nonchalantly he asked, "How does spending the rest of your life with me sound?"

Her dawning smile was all the answer he needed.


End file.
